Aluminum titanate-based ceramics are ceramics containing titanium and aluminum as constitutive elements and having a crystal pattern of aluminum titanate in an x-ray diffraction spectrum. Aluminum titanate-based ceramics have been known as ceramics being excellent in heat resistance and having low thermal expansibility. Aluminum titanate-based ceramics have conventionally been used as firing tools such as crucibles. Recently, the utility value of aluminum titanate-based ceramics in industrial fields is increasing as a material for constituting a ceramics filter (DPF: Diesel particulate filter) for collecting fine carbon particles contained in exhaust gases discharged from an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine.
A process known for producing such an aluminum titanate-based ceramics comprises firing a starting material mixture containing a powder of a titanium source compound such as titania and a powder of an aluminum source compound such as alumina (see, Patent Document 1).